Sports organisations secured a significant victory for fans last night as Lords voted to increase the protection for people buying tickets from secondary ticket markets.
The markets, often used by touts who re-sell tickets at significantly inflated prices, must now collect more information about the tickets offered on their platforms – offering much more transparency for buyers.
The amendment to the Consumer Rights Bill, which the Alliance briefed a wide range of Peers on, will ensure sellers on secondary ticket markets have to provide more details of tickets they’re selling, creating more transparency for consumers and reducing fraud.
Sellers on secondary ticket websites such as Viagogo, Get Me In and Stubhub will be affected as the new rules will ensure that those selling tickets for concerts, festivals and sporting events will now be required to provide details such as the location of the seat and/or a booking number.
James Allen, Head of Policy at the Alliance, believes that the change will make a real difference to fans, as well as the Alliance’s members.
“This represents a major change in the way the secondary ticket market is regulated, ensuring that consumers can make certain that tickets are genuine, and requiring clearer information about what exactly they’re purchasing to be made available. It will also allow rights-holders to clamp down on ticket touts’ exploitation of real fans.
"There are still hurdles on the road ahead - we need to persuade the House of Commons that this is a valuable change to consumer right. But there is a clear and strong case which we are able to make on behalf of fans and I think that MPs will understand it."
Working on behalf of a number of its major members who have the greatest interest in this area, the Alliance met with senior civil servants prior to the vote to make the case for the amendment, and will continue this dialogue with Government to ensure the changes are as effective as possible.
Online ticketing fraud affects 2.3 million people a year, with an estimated cost of £1.5 billion.
The amendment, backed by Peers from all parties, had support from big names in sport such as former chairman of the British Olympic Association Lord Moynihan, former England women’s cricket captain Baroness Heyhoe Flint, as well as former Paralympians Baroness Grey-Thompson and Lord Holmes. It passed by 183 votes to 171, a majority 12.’
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